Elevator



May 15, 1928.

E. L. RICK ELEVATOR Filed June 13, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet E. L. RICK ELEVATOR May 15, 1928, I

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June '13, 1923 I'll STA-

"3 :i; FFHC EDWARD L. RICK, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA ASSIGNOR TO DUNN MANUFACTUR- ING COMPANY, OF OXNARD, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA.

Application filed June 13, 1923. Serial No. 645,080.

This invention relates to elevators of the type employed in supporting, raising and lowering of oil well casing-or tubing, and an object of the invention, in general, is to'provide a construction that will insure against dropping a string of casing or tubing supported by the elevator.

Dropping of strings of casing or tubing, because of imperfection in elevators, is of quite frequent occurrence, and it will be readily understood that, when the casing or tubing becomes detached from the elevator and drops to the bottom of the well, an expensive fishing job is required to recover the casing or tubing. It is to avoid this that my invention is made.

' Another object is to provide for automatic closure of the elevator gate, if open, by the.

weight of the casing or tubing that is being suspended from the elevator.

Another object is to construct the elevator so that the weight of the casing or tubing, supported by the elevator, will tend to hold the elevator gate closed.

Another object is to provide a construction in which the elevator gate must rise relative to the elevator body atthe same time that the gate is swung into open position in order that the gate can. be opened.

A further object is to provide, when deemed advisable, an efficient latch for still further insuring against swinging open of the gate.

.The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention:

Figure 1 is a plan view of an elevator constructed in accordance with the provisions of this invention, the gate being closed.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation on Figure 1.

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of Figure 2 from the left thereof.

Fig. 4 is an elevation, partly in section, from the line indicated by 44, Figure 1.

Fig; dis a sectional elevation on the line ind cated by 55, Figure 1.

Fig. 6 is a fragmental elevation of the hinge portion of the elevator, with the gate in open position.

Fig. 7 is a fragmental plan section through the hinge on the line indicated by 77, Figure 5.

There is provided a body 11 having a recess 12 to accommodate a portion of the easing, pipe or tubing that is to besupported by the elevator, the wall of said recess being body 11 so that the collar or coupling of the tubing being supported by the elevator will rest on the insert. Any suitable means may be employed for holding the insert in place as, for example, screws 16. The body 11 is provided at its opposite ends with supports 17 having therein eyes 18 in which the grapple of the hoisting apparatus may be caught for raising and lowering of the elevator, in

a manner well understood in this art.

Hinged to the body 11 is a gate 19, the hinge comprising an intermediate hinge member '20 on the body 11 and hinge members'21 on one end of thegate 19, a suitable pin 22 pivotally connecting the hinge members 20, 21. The opening 23 between the hinge members 21, to accommodate the hinge member 20, is of greater length than the length of the hinge member 20, as clearly shown in Figures 2 and 4 of the drawings, so as to permit the gate to rise relative to the body for a purpose to be explained hereinafter. The foregoing will make clear that the improved elevator includes two relatively movable members or jaws one of which is, in this instance, termed the body 11 and the other the gate 19.

The gate 19 is provided with a recess 24 that is slightly less than a semicircle to partly accommodate the tubing held by the elevator, so that when the gate is closed the opening for the casing or tubing will be approximately circular. Preferably the wall of the recess 24 is formed in part by a reminish liability to chipping and breaking of the marginal portions of the upper end of the recesses 12, 24 due to striking against them of the collar of the casing or tubing beingsupported in the elevator. If the inserts do become chipped they can be readily replaced whereas, if the inserts were not provided, the entire elevator would have to be discarded when such chipping and breaking thereof occur. The gate is provided with a portion that engages the body on downward shifting of the gate and that disengages said body on upward shifting of the gate so that the weight of the tubing supported by the elevator will tend to pre vent opening of the gate and consequent dropping of the tubing. fected by different constructions and one is as follows:

One end of the gate 19 interlocks with the body 11 by reason of there being provided interlocking portions 28 on the gate and 29 on the body. The interlocking por- ;tions 28, 29 are complementarilybeveled,

the upper faces a and the lower faces I) of said portions extending aslant downwardly in the direction of closing of the gate so that when the gate is closed, as in Figure 4,

it is necessary, when opening it, to raise it as it swings outwardly on its hinge.

Since the gate closes on a pivot, the path of closing is arcuate and, accordingly, the faces a, b, slant downwardly along a curved path, the center of radius of curvature of said path being the axis of the hinge. In other words, the faces a, I) extend radially with respect to the axis of the gate hinge. This construction enables the gate to swing open without the necessity of first lifting the gate to unlock the interlocking portions. In fact, the interlocking portions constitute cam faces that, when the gate. is pulled open, cause the gate to rise.

Elevators of this description are comparatively cumbersome and quite .heavy and, therefore, while not absolutely essential, it is desirable to provide means operable by opening movement of the gate to raise the same at the hinge so that the hinge members'will not bind upon the hinge pin and so that the interlocking portions 28, 29, will freely disengage to allow the gate to be opened. To effect this result I provide, in this instance, a cam face 30 on one of the hinge members for one of the other hinge members to ride against so as to effect a lifting movement of the gate as it opens, in this articular instance the cam face being provlded at the upper end of the hinge meme1' 20 so that the lower end of the upper hinge member 21 will ride upwardly on the 'cam face during opening movement of the gate andgdownwardly onsaid cam face during closing movement of said gate. The upper end of the hinge member 20 is notched at 31 adjacent to the cam face 30 to permit a downwardly projecting portion 32 of the upper hinge member 21 to seat in said recess when the gate is-closed. It has heretofore been pointed out that the length I length is slightly This may be ef-' of the space 23 is greater than the length of the hin e member 20. The difference in greater than the height of the cam face 30 so that, when the gate is closed, the intermediate and lower hinge members will be spaced as in Figures 2 and 5 and, when the upper hinge member rides upwardly on the cam face 30, the lower hinge member will approachthe intermediate hinge member as in Figure 6. Within its broader phases the invention includes other constructions for effecting raising and lowering of the gate.

It is to be understood that the construction described above will constitute a complete operable elevator without the provision of means for positively holdingthe gate closed, for, in operation, the elevator will be placed about the casing or tubing to be handled and the gate will be swung into closed position to interlock the portions 28, 29. Then the grappling device, not shown, will be engaged with the eyes 18 and the elevator raised into engagement with the collar or coupling on the casing or tubing, thus bringing the weight of the tubing to bear upon the upper face of the body 11 and gate 19. Since the slant of the beveled faces a, b of the interlocking portions 28, 29 is toward the direction ofclosing of the gate, the weight of the casing imposed on the gate will naturally tend to hold the gate closed. I

It may be desirable as an additional precaution for insuring against opening of the ate, and consequent dropping of the casing or tubing supported by the elevator, to provide means to prevent upward shifting and opening of the gate, and such means may be constructed, for example, as follows: One of the interlocking portions 28'and an adjacent one 29 are provided, respectively, with latchways 33, 34 for a latch bolt 35 which is normally pressed to project out of the la-tchway 34 by a coil spring 36 mounted in a spring chamber 37 in the body 11. The latch bolt 35 is beveled at its lower end on oppositesides, as indicated at 38, 39, to engage a V-shaped notch 40 in a release member 41 which extends substantially at right angles to the latch bolt 35 within a way 42 in the gate 19, said way communicating with the latch way 33.

The release member 41 is normally held inwardly, in position to register the notch 40 with the latch way 33,.by a coil spring 43 within a spring chamber 44 in the gate 19, the outer end of the spring bearing against the outer wall of the spring chamber and the inner end of the spring bearing against a shoulder 45 on the release member 41. The shoulder 45 is adapted to enage an abutment 46 on the gate 19 to limit inward movement of the release member 41 so that the latchway 33 and notch 40 will ne'zopes the notch 40. It is to be noted that the straight. side of the pin above the bevel 38 is in engagement with the wall of the latch way 33, when the latch bolt is in latching position, so that the latch bolt must be retracted sufficiently to bring the upper end of the latch bolt bevel 38 above the upper end of the latchway 33 before the gate can be pulled open. This retract-ion is effected by outward movement of the release member 41. The operator then continues to pull on the handle 47 thus causing the wall of the latchwa-y 33 to bear hard against the latchbolt bevel 38 to effect further retraction of the latchbolt to position entirely within the latchway 34 so as to disengage the latchbolt from the gate and permit said gate to swing into open position. During the opening movement the gate will rise relative to the body as hereinbefore mentioned. To close the gate it may be slammed shut and the latchbolt 35 will automatically seat in the latchway 33 and notch 40.

Though a latch is not a necessity, when the collar of the supported casing or tubing seats only upon the upper face of the body and gate, the provision of the latch will be more especially advisable in event of said upper faces becoming worn adjacent the recesses 12, 24 for, when wear at these portions occurs, the collar may slipsufficiently far intothe recesses 12, 24.- to produce an outward thrust against the inner walls of the body and gate'and this thrust may be come sufficiently great to force the gate open against the imposed pressure of the tubing tending to resist the upward shifting of the gate necessary to opening thereof. In fact. the casing or tubing may be canted Sllffitltl'lt-ly out of axial alinement with the elevator to entirely free the upper face of the gate from the collar of the tubing, and the canting would tend to pry open the gate in such event. lhe latch would then prevent this.

A very important advantage that this elevator has over those of prior construction is the impossibility'of using it to lift pipe when the gate is open. If the attempt be made to raise the elevator with the pipe therein and the gate not tightly closed, the coupling on the pipe will naturally seat first upon the upper face of-the gate, since the unclosed gate projects above the level of the body. The weight thus coming upon the gate will tilt the gate side of the elevator downwardly,

thus causing the effect of gravity to be excl oised upon the body to move the body toward the gate to entirely close said gate, thus causing the gate and body to become flush and the body to assume aportion of the weight of the pipe. s

It will be clear that, when'the hinge member 21 engages the upper end of the cam face 30, the weight of the casing or tubing that is being suspended from the elevator will cause the hinge member 21 to ride downward upon the cam face 30 and the faces 6 to ride downwardly uponthefaces a until the gate is entirely closed, thus effecting automatic closure of the elevator gate by the weight of the casing or tubing that is being suspended from the elevator.

I claim:

1. An elevator comprising abody recessed to partly receive tubing, and a gate hinged tubing, the gate and body having interlocking portions provided with faces slanting downwardly in the direction of closing of the gate, the slanting faces being positioned at such angle to a horizontal plane as to effect raising of the gate when it is subjected to a horizontally exerted pull.

2; An elevator comprising a body recessed to partly receive tubing, a vertically shiftable gate hinged to the body and recessed to partly receive the tubing, the gate having a portion engaging the body on downward shifting of the gate and disengaging said body on upward shifting of the gate, and means operating to efi'ect upward shifting of the gate.

3. An elevator comprising a body recessed to partly receive tubing, a vertically shiftable gate hinged to the body and recessed to partly receive the tubing, the gate having a portion engaging the body on downward shifting of the gate and disengaging sa1d body on upward shifting of the gate, and means operated by opening movement of the gate to effect upward shifting thereof.

4. An elevator comprising a body recessed to partly receive tubing, a vertically shiftable gate hinged to the body and recessed to partly receive the tubing, the gate having a portion engaging the body on downward shifting of the gate and disengaging said body on upward shifting of the gate, means operating to effect upward shifting of the gate and releasable means to prevent upward shifting of the gate.

5. An elevator comprising a body recessed to partly receive tubing, a vertically shlftable gate hinged to the body and recessed to partly receive the tubing, the gate having a portion engaging the body on downward shifting of the gate and disengaglng sa1d body on upward shifting of the gate, means operated by opening movement of the gate to effect upward shifting thereof, and releasto the body and recessed to partly receive the able means to prevent upward shifting thereof.

6. An'elevator comprising a body recessed to (partly receive tubing, a gate hinged to the b0 y and recessed to partly receive the tubing, the gate having a ortion engaging the body on downward shi ting of the gate and disengaging said body on upward shifting of the gate, and a cam face on one of the hinge members, another of the hinge members riding down and up on the cam face as the gate is closed and opened, respectively.

7. An elevator comprising a body recessed to partly receive tubing, a gate hinged to the body and recessed to partly receive the tubing, the gate and body having interlocking portions, latch ways in the interlocking portions in registration when the gate is closed, a release member shiftable in one of the interlocking portions provided with a notch adapted to register with the adjacent latch way when the release member is in one position, a latch bolt mounted in one of the latch Ways and ada ted to project through the other latch way into the notch when the gate is closed, and means yieldingly holding the latch bolt engaged with the notch.

8. An elevator comprising a body recessed to partly receive tubing, and a ate hinged to the body and recessed to partiy receive the tubing, the gate and body having portions that interlock on relative ,vertical shifting of the gate and body, and a cam .faceon one of the hinge members engageable by another of the'hinge members to effect upward and downward shifting of the gate.

Signed at Los Angeles, California this 5th day of June 1923.

EDWARD L. RICK. 

